Veldskoen launched the new Ranger Boot that leaves a positive impact in more ways than one. Called the Ranger Social Impact Boots, the shoes have messages imprinted on their soles that leave...
Fashion
Fashion is political
What does politics have to do with fashion? The answer is everything. Fashion conjures society’s dreams, challenges its norms, and reflects what it believes about itself. As Dr. Rosie Findlay,...
Q&A: NOKI connects upcycling with African storytelling
NOKI is a Mozambican upcycled jewellery and lifestyle brand. The handcrafted product reflect a commitment to creating wearable art and storytelling medium. Founded by Mozambican-Spanish Maputo-based...
Why fashion is a feminist issue
Fashion is political. The industry perpetuates deeply entrenched systems of exploitation that disproportionately affect women. Over 70% of the total fashion workforce is women, and yet, women hold...
Q&A: Nonhlanhla Blessing Ndlovu turned a hobby into Crochet Couture
Twenty-one-year-old Nonhlanhla Blessing Ndlovu taught herself how to crochet from YouTube during the COVID-19 pandemic. What started as a lockdown hobby and a way to soothe her anxiety has bloomed...
Essential Elegance
Trends may come and go, but elegance will always remain in style. These pandemic years have allowed us to pause, reflect, and examine what is truly essential in our lives. For many, this lens has...
An Open Letter on Textile Fibre Indexes
At the crux of the ecological and social crises are many conflicting ideas about how to address challenges in order to affect change. As the fashion and textile sector as a whole seeks to navigate...
Brands are leaning on ‘recycled’ clothes to meet sustainability goals. Here’s what you need to know
Today we make more clothing than ever before. And the driver for this is primarily economic, rather than human need. Over the past decade, the term “circular economy” has entered the fashion...
Fashion film ‘Stories of Hope’ celebrates textile connections between Indonesia and South Africa
With a shared history of Dutch colonial rule and cultural overlaps due to the legacy of slavery, the societal fabric of Indonesia and South Africa, separated by vast swathes of ocean, have more in...
Why the V&A’s new Africa Fashion exhibition is important – and long overdue
Fashion is a catalyst to tell deeper, richer, expanded stories from across the African continent. We hope visitors will be inspired and assumptions will be challenged. Christine Checinska, curator A...
Regenerative farming is the future of farm-to-fashion wool systems in South Africa
Did you know that South Africa is the second-largest exporter of apparel wool and the largest mohair producer in the world? The first Merino sheep arrived at the Cape in 1789. Now, South Africa is...
6 Textile certifications to look for when buying natural fibres in South Africa
Natural fibres are renewable and biodegradable, which makes them preferred textiles for a circular fashion industry. But, while natural fibres are inherently more sustainable, it does not always...
11 Local makers working with South African wool
South African wool, specifically locally grown, regeneratively farmed wool, is key to the revival of the textile industry and to building a sustainable, ethical and regenerative fashion system. Wool...
5 Sustainable Fashion Takeaways from Africa Textile Talks 2022
Creating change in the fashion industry begins with the sharing of new sustainable fashion ideas and the propagation of new possibilities. The inaugural Africa Textile Talks, which took place from...
Q&A: Fashion graduate Gabriella Carter reminds us that sustainable fashion is a way of life
Fashion students are the next generation of fashion designers. So, the students who prioritise sustainability and ethics in their design thinking and garment making offer a sneak peek into a better...